If you need to hire a WordPress developer for your upcoming projects, there is an enormous number of great developers on the market. According to recent research, the number of developers is expected to reach 27.7 million by 2023. However, finding the right candidate for your projects isn’t easy. This guide will help you clarify your needs and choose the right person. 

By the end of this 5 minutes read, you will be able to identify what kind of WP developer you need and where to find the best person for your business. Specifically, we will explore the best ways to find a great developer for your business. Then, we are going to analyze the most important steps you have to follow before you choose the right candidate. Let’s dive deeper into those valuable tips. 

1. Employee searching tips

1.1. Determine the scope of tasks

When it comes to hiring a WP developer, you have three different options. You can hire in-house developers, an outsourced development team (or individual), or a freelancer. Before you decide which type of candidate is the best for the job, you have to determine the scope of the tasks you need this person to undertake. 

To be more specific, you have to define not only your business goals but also your time frames, needs, and requirements. This is the first step to identify the type of business relationship you need. For example, if you need a development team for a constant volume of work related to your main WordPress project, then an in-house development team could be the best way to go.

On the other hand, if you need to rapidly strengthen your development team for important issues you can also hire an outsourced developer. By utilizing this kind of outsourced services, you will be able to hire an external workforce to deal with parts of your upcoming WordPress projects. Finally, if you have a limited time frame for your WP project or you need to solve a simple issue, a freelancer could also be a great solution.

1.2. Ask for recommendations

No matter which type of developer best suits your needs, asking for recommendations is crucial. Especially when it comes to online platforms, you should always have proof of the skills and attitude of your candidates. Nevertheless, recommendations are the most reliable way to find a good employee, regardless of the format of work. 

Numerous online platforms provide recommendations for the individuals or teams they host. Upwork, for example, allows you to have a look at the ratings and reviews of each developer’s past clients.  As it concerns outsourced developers, B2B platforms like Clutch and YouTeam, provide the firms’ ratings or conduct research, and include only outsourcing companies with a good reputation.

1.3. Go beyond local hiring 

A 2020 research indicates that the number of remote workers in the U.S. has quadrupled to nearly 50% of the nation’s workforce. The appearance of COVID-19 played a significant role in this rapid shift. However, going beyond local hiring seems to be the future. 

Although there are some obstacles around remote working (like the time differences), numerous ways have been discovered to keep your distant business relationship effective. In this way, you will also gain certain benefits. Hiring a freelancer or an offshore WP developer is cheaper than an in-house development team. Moreover, you will have a greater choice of specialists from all around the world,  and the ability to quickly fill a vacancy.

2. Tips for choosing a candidate

Now that we have analyzed the most valuable tips when searching for a candidate, let’s have a look at the steps you should follow to choose the best one for you:

2.1. Resumes / Profiles screening 

The first stage of the hiring process is, in most cases, different for companies. Some receive a vast number of CVs, while others search for candidates on hiring platforms like Upwork. But in any case, your first acquaintance with the potential candidates is through their profiles where they systematized all their experience. 

Apart from checking the relevant experience, you should pay attention to:

• Their resume’s format: The CV should be logically structured, well-organized, and easy to read. These qualities are important for WP programmers, as they are called to work with a code. Having a look at WordPress Resumes (when possible) is also a great idea to evaluate your candidate’s work.
• Unexplained job gaps: This is not necessarily a red flag, but it’s better to pay attention and ask about those periods.
• Previous projects’ length: The length of staying in previous companies is also crucial as, in most cases, indicates the person’s consistency and passion for the job. 

2.2. Cover letters

Cover letters are not widely used for tech roles. However, it’s a must when you’re hiring for a junior position. In most cases, a great cover letter will show the person’s passion for the job. Especially for junior WP developers, passion and accomplishments are crucial. Don’t forget that when hiring a junior developer for a project, they probably won’t have numerous previous projects to speak for them.

However, most junior developers are talented people who will passionately deal with your projects. Thus, if you need to pay the lowest rates, asking for a cover letter is one of the best ways to go.

2.3. Video application

Asking for a video application is a very smart tactic you could utilize to help you choose the right candidate. When you hire from the global market, it is very important to make sure that you’re able to understand your developer. A video application is more intimate than a cover letter and it will allow you to familiarize yourself with the candidates.

Likewise, asking for video applications could help you gain an understanding of each candidate’s soft skills and hard skills before the interview. This will not only prove beneficial but will also save you some time. 

2.4. Online interview: soft skills check

Evaluating a candidate’s soft skills is crucial for your potential cooperation to be successful. While interviewing a WP developer, you host your first meeting with this person. Don’t forget that you might need your developer’s perspective in future meetings too. For this reason, it is essential to gain an understanding of the candidate’s cultural fit and background.

There are online interview tools that will help you ask the right questions and prepare for your meetings with candidates. “Getting-to-know-you”, teamwork and time management are only a few of the general personality questions you can ask. By checking a candidate’s soft skills you will be able to determine if this WordPress developer is a good fit for your company.   

2.5. Online interview: hard skills verification

Although soft skills are important, verifying a developer’s hard skills in real-time is crucial too. There are many platforms that can verify the candidate’s hard skills in real-time. The only thing you have to do is choose what should be tested and then get the detailed results with evaluation.

Those are the best solutions that will help you create online code tests for your potential developers:

1. Codility is a great way to create an online code test and an excellent platform to run your remote tech interviews.
2. HackerRank is one of the most popular technical interview platforms. HackerRank also allows you to identify your next WP developer as it contains more than 11 million developers. 
3. CodeSignal is a platform that will help you recruit developers as it promises to structure, automate, and scale your interviews. 
4. ChallengeRocket gives you the opportunity to run a skill challenge and pick the candidates matching your criteria.
5. CodinGame is an all-in-one tech recruiting platform that will allow you to locate, screen, and hire your company’s next WordPress developer.

3. Wrap up

To summarize, we have analyzed the best tips that help you search for a great WP developer. We also had a look at the types of business relationships you can choose from and analyzed the benefits of going beyond local hiring. Ultimately, we concluded that resumes/profile screening, cover letters, video applications, and the examination of soft and hard skills are critical when choosing a WordPress developer for your business.